Multiform billing-sheet.



. E. Z. LEWIS. l'

MULTIPORM BILLING SHEET.

AIPLIOATION FILED MAY 19, 1969.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

cnsmeR's su? casmek's sur Y Ng nar-Ensae:

HRTICLES Cit EDWARDZ.- LEWIS, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MULTIFORM \BILLING-'SHEET.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 19, 1909. SerialNo. 496,999.

f To aZZ whom it may concemf Be it known that I, EDWARD Z. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Statel of'Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiform Billing- Sheets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clea r, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the ac' companying drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.-

This invention relates to a multiform bill-l ing sheet comprising a number of printed forms upon one ofwhich is to be typewritten the original and upon theothers of which are to be imprinted carbon copies of said, original. In writing on theseI billing sheets it is of the greatest importance that the writing on'A theloriginal ishallhe, im-

i pressed upon the jcopies within the same lines and in the same columns. That is to say, the date must fall upon the date'line on the carbon just as it doesuponthe original, and the several articles enumerated within the columns of the original must fall onV the in register with that of every other` sheet.

carbons on the same horizontal printed lines.l

Heretofore it'has been customary to form these billing sheets with the successive forms alternately printed on opposite sides of-the sheet. This sheet was then folded in a zigzag fold with the successive forms falling one upon Athe other so that when the folding was finished the originalfrest'ed immediately. above thel forms which were to receive the carbon copies,with the printed matter, such as lines, and the other printed data of -each sheet Carbon paperslof the proper size were then placed between the folds of the sheet and the folded sheet thenhand'ed to the typew1'iter'for`flling out. The use of such multiform billing sheet` is very expensive as it requires not only the foldingibut also the separate placing of carbon papers between the folds of each sheet before it is ready for use.l This not only consumes time but also is expensive in that it requires separate employees to fold the .sheets and to place the carbon papers.

It is the object of this invention to provide` a multiform billing sheet in which this eX- pense of folding and of placing the carbon sheets between the layers is dispensed with. The various advantages and the economy of time and expense resulting in the use'of this invention will appear as I proceed with my specification. I A

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view ,of my improved sheet. F ig. 2 is a perspective view of a typewriter' platen showing my improved multiform billing sheetin position to be written upon with one end in section. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views in section of a typewriter platen Patented Aug. si, 1909.

showing different stages in the operation of winding my improved billing sheet thereon.

Fig. 5 is a-detail viewin plan ot a type of i carbon ribbon or paper which may be used in connection with my improved billing sheet. v

My improved sheet is of a length to have the required lnumber' of forms printed thereon and, unlike the forms heretofore used, has all these forms'printed upon the same side inr succession.

1 represents the as a whole, and 2, 3

and 4 represent the several lforms printed thereon divided by perforations to permit of ready separation. I have illustrated my improved sheet with three forms but, of course, it is to be understood that it maybe provided with any number of forms. In use this sheet 'y with a carbon paper or ribbon of-a length to cover all of the lforms but the last one is Wound upon the platen with the carbon paper or ribbon on top of the bill sheet.l lThe typewriter platen upon which myimproved billing sheet is to'be used must-have a circumference exactly equal to the height of thc form which is first wound thereon which, as

will presently appear, is less than the height, of the other forms on the billing sheet.'

If"v the several forms were all of th'esame height andthe vertical lspacing of the printed items were the same, it is apparent that on account of the increasing length of the circumference of the roll due to the ,thickness ofthe paper and of the carbon paper orA .ribbon interposed to make the carbon copies,

the successive forms would not register with each other but-the corresponding'items or horizontal lines' of each succeeding form wouldl register above the same items or lines on the preceding form, considering. the form atl the top ofthe sheet asthe lirst. To overl come this difficulty I make the several forms progressively of increased vertical dimensions, starting at the top of the billing sheet, the increase in size being just suiieient to make up for the difference in the length of the circumference of the several rolls as the successive orms'arf'wound/-upon the platen. i This increase 1n size notgonly extends tothe .height ofthe form Yitselfbut' also to the spac- 4next successive layer, and another photograph then taken reducing the original photograph vstill more, and so onuntil'the top. form 1s reached which must be of the exact .length of the circumference of the platen. -These photographs would then be of the proper dimensions to make my improved llinghsheet, 1f they were joined together iny i SIICCSSSIOD.

It will be seen that the forms 4:, and 2 are successively smaller in vertical dimensions.v `By makingthese diiierences in the vertlcal dimensions of thesuccesslve forms,

' allowance is made-for the kthickness of the l paper of the sheetas well as the thickness.

of the carbon paper or ribbon which is intended tomake -thecarbon copy, with the result that when the sheet and carbon are Wound upon the platen every printed item on the top `formrwill register right through with theseveralsimilar printed ltems on the .form below and the top and bottom of every form will Vregister with the top and bottom of each of the other forms.

Thedividing lines between the forms are indicated by the ynumerals 5 and .6 and the top and bottom ofthefbill by the numerals 7 and 8.

In Fig. 3 is sholwn my improved billing sheet. justas it is started to wind on the platen c. b represents thecarbon ribbon or paper which is .attached to the surface of the platen in any c onvenlent manner, as indicated at b2 .where the end of the carbon ribbon is shown embedded in the face of the,

` pltaen. The billing-sheet'l is placed with its top edge in the anglefwhere the carbon ribbon or paper joins the platen, the carbon side of the ribbon or paper being against the printed side of the billing sheet. The

`v Epen the platenfis'then rotated to wind the sheet with the carbon on top thereof upon the platen, as seen in- Fig. 4. The winding is continued until the billing sheet is completely wound platen. As the carbon sheet 1s not the entire len th of the4 billing sheet, butl is short ofthat ength bye-the height of the last form, .it is preferable to provide marginal tapes at ac'h side of the carbon paper or ribbowhich continue to wind vwith the billing sheet'andprejec/t beyond the last one.

It is also convenient to havethis tape wound upon a spring-controlled roller so as to produce the propertension in the carbon paper or ribbon and thus cause it to wind smoothly upon the platen. These tapes are indicated in Figs. 2 and 5 b '51, 1.

Inl Fig. 2 will lie seen the 'billinv sheet completely wound `upon the platen, the several forms being indicated by the same numerals heretofore used. The last or top form is shown tornaway, as at a, a1, leavincr lexposed the carbon ribbon or sheet b whic i is also cut `awayto `show immediately below it the form 3.

VVhileI have shown in the drawingsof 'this application a carbon ribbon or sheet' attached directly to the typewriter platen, and have suggested this asthe most convenient way to use my im roved billing sheet, it isfto be understood t at I .make no claim fupon such attachment of the ribbon.

to the-platen in this application as it Vforms the subject matter of a second ap lication.

It is apparent from what has een said, and froml the description above given of my improved billing sheet, thatany matterwritten upon the outside' or bottom form of the bill will be reproduced by the carbon ribbon '0n the severa other forms in exactly the same spaces and in exactly the same vertical columns as upon the original. writing is completed it is simply necessary to pull the sheets from the'v platen, just as in the case of an ordinarytypewritten letter.

We have the'n the original and several copies, y

-eacha duplicate of the other, with the various items written all in exactly the same After i the spaces and in the same vertical columns, the

entire billing sheet being still intact. The separate forms may be detached when de- .'sired.

I claim as my invention 1. 'A multiform billing sheet comprising a number of forms all printed on the same side of the sheet and arranged in succession thereon from top to bottoml of the sheet, the successive rinted forms, starting from the bottom an running upward, being successively reduced in vertical height and vertical spacing, substantially as and for the purpose described. l 2. A multiform billing sheet comprising a number of forms .all printed on the same side o f the sheet and arranged in vertical succession thereon,'the. several forms being divided from each other by horizontal perforations, and each succeeding for1n,'starting from the bottom and running upward, being proportionally reduced in vertical dimensions as to lheight and spacing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A multiform billing sheet comprising a number of forms all printed on the saine side of the sheet andarranged in progression from top to bottom thereon, the several forms being progressively increased in verltical ldimensions as to height and vertical spacing, substantially pose deseribed. .4 i

4. A multiform billing sheet adapted to be Wound ywith a carbon ribbon upon a typewriter platen, said sheet comprising a n um- "ber of forms all printed on the same side of -pesence of two Witnesses,

the sheet and arranged' in progression from top to bottom thereon, the several forms bel ing progressively vincreased in vertical dimenslons as to heightand vertical spacing, and being so proportioned relatively to each` other that when Wound, one upon the other,

as and for the pur the tops of the forms Willll fallealeh upon that of the next preceding form, substantially as and for the pur ose described. In testimony, that I c aim the' yforegoing as my invention I aiiX my signature in the i Y ay A. D., '1909. EDWARD z.LEW1s.

`Witnesses:

CLARENCE E. MEHLHorE, GEORGE R. WILKINS.

this 15th1day of Y 

